Santa Paula, California – A mandatory evacuation was in place Saturday for Santa Paula due to the Maria Fire, which is burning south of the city in Southern California. The blaze was 20% contained by midday Saturday and spanned 9,400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire, which started Thursday, prompted evacuation orders for nearly 11,000 people. It first broke out on a hilltop northwest of Los Angeles. Flames could be seen for miles as the fire moved quickly through dry brush and trees, threatening a number of homes and forcing thousands to flee, CBS Los Angeles reported.
At least three homes have been destroyed in an area with a number of large properties, ranches and orchards.
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Firefighters were finding it hard work as shifting winds made the front line a moving target. On Friday, a tug of war developed between onshore and offshore winds.
“It has been an uphill battle ever since,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. “As winds shift, we have a whole new fuel bed open up.”
The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but there was a troubling possibility that an electrical line might have been involved – as such lines have been at other recent fires. Southern California Edison said Friday it re-energized a 16,000-volt power line 13 minutes before the fire erupted in the same area.
A Red Flag Warning was scheduled to be in effect for the area until 6 p.m. Saturday with widespread elevated fire weather conditions due to low humidity levels, warm weather during the days and persistent winds.
In Northern California, more people were allowed to return to areas evacuated due to the huge Kincade Fire burning for days in the Sonoma County wine country. The 121-square-mile fire was 72% contained on Saturday, officials said. The tally of destroyed homes reached 175 and many other structures also burned.
